Buoyant ore separator



Jan. 9, 1923. 1,441,561). A.H.CONN0R&

BUOYANT ORE SEPAHATOR.

oRlGlNAL mso 1AN.15,1920.

SIINCHIOI. Arthur H, Con/mrs.

Patented dan.. 9, i923.

'RTHUR H, CONNORS, oF-lVULLAN, IDAHO.

BUOYANT ORE SEPARATOR. I I i Original application led January 15, 1920. Serial No. 351,644. Divided and this application led Sep;

' tember 1, 192,1. Serial No. 497,687.'

l To all whom t may coalccrn Be it known that I, ARTHURH; CoNNoRs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Mullan, in thel county of Shoshone and State of Idaho, have invented certain new.

and useful Improvements' in Buoyant Gre Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improve ments in buoyant ore separators of that type involving the flotation process of 'Washing ores, by means of which the oiled concentrates orminerals are separated from the gangue or pulp, and utilized in connection with aerating means for the gangue or pulp for assisting in conveying the mineral particles to the 'surface of the pulp. v

In the customary manner of ore separation by the flotation process, oil is added to the gangue or material before the latter is fed to the separating cell, and consequently when the oiled mass encounters the Water Surface a rebounding action or splash takesv place as the oil and ore are vfed to the cell, in consequence of which the oil spreads in a film or layers over the surface of the Water. This film of oil thus produced on the surface of the Water is either Wastedq by being carried olf by bubbles in Waves on the Water surface, orthe oil film retardslthe rising bubbles thatl carry the mineral particles. By the utilization of my invention as vheremingle.v the' oil with the pulp atla'loca or initial point in the cell, and prevent linneo- Aessary spread ofthe oil on the surface of- 4 the Waterby insuring a proper mixture of the oit-With the gangue beneath the- Water surfaceffln this manner, in connection ,withtheaerating apparatus in the, cell, the hub# bles are formed and rise to the'surface-with the mineral particles, and are then conveyedl to the launders in usual manner.

In the accompanying drawings I fhave illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of vmy invention-wherein the parts arecombined and arranged according tothe best,mode I have thus `fary devised for the practical application of the principles yof my invention.

Figurel 1 1s longitudinal vertical sec-- vthe ce or cell 1 of suitable material, rectangular inv shape and 'having vertical side -Walls 2, 2, 'A-

that are cut away at 3, 3 to form spillways into the lateral or side launders 4, 4, erected at the outer sides of the cell and of which the side Walls form a part. These laundersJ are designed to receiveby flotation, the mineral particles from the separating chamber of the cell. At the `front or forward end of the cell the pulp is supplied from the pulp conduct'- ingl-spout 5 and deposited in the pulp receiving hopper 6 erected above the top of l and from Which the pulp may pass to the receiving chamber 7 in the front end of the cell.l The rear Wall of this receiving chamberv is formed by a transversely disposed defl'ector partition or shield 8, at-

i tached to the side Walls of the cell and elevated abovevthe bottom thereof. This deflector servesthe ,function of `eliminating 4splash as-the pulp drops into the receiving chamber, andJ also directs the pulp toward -the front of the receiving chamber, thus prey yenting its'too rapid ow toward the outlet or tail end of the cell.V An additional partition8 may be placed across the corner at the lower front end ofthe cell to prevent accumulation of the pulp in the corner. v y

The gangue or pulp is thus fed to the cell at the front end thereof and deposited in thewater in the receiving chamber as in'- dicat'edin tFigure l, and the oil is supplied to thev pul'p at the point of its entrance to the Water, thescreen 8 serving to prevent distributionjof oil to the surface of the Water, the Water level inthe. cellbeing indicated at-W. L. v

Adjacent to the feed hopper 6, an loil tank'9 'is lprovided from which the oil content may runvby gravity through the curved voutlet pipe vl() and be controlled by the regulating .valve 1l in said pipe. The oil pipe pipe 12 shown in Figure `rocky material from vtribute the air Jfrom the nozzles.

is positioned to direct the flow of oil into the incoming or inflowing pulp above the Water line or level of the cell, and into the path of the material, so that the Weight of the material will cause the subrnergence` of the oil With the material into the receiving chamber of the cell Where theypulp is thoroughly impregnated and commingled with the oil, and then distributed with the mass of pulp or ore in the cell. The oil is introduced for the purpose of strengthening the air bubbles that are produced at the bottom of the cell and rise to the surface ot the pulp inthe cell, carrying with them the adherin particles of mineral, and the oil, which orms a film or coating varoundA the bubbles also enhances the ability ofthe bubbles tow retain and carry the mineral particles.

The aerating device located in the bottom of the cell is supplied from the main 2, and branch pipes 13 project upwardlyinto the cell, through the bottom thereof to form vertically eX- tending nozzles 13', the liow of compressed air through the nozzles being controlled by valves 14. Above 'the nozzles are located hoods 16 of suitable material and of inverted V-shape, to Jshed the gangue or the nozzles and to disject matter of the aerating device .illusie trated forms an application for patent Ser. No. 351,644, filed Jan. 15, 1920, from Which application this present case is' a division.

The hoods of the aerating device are suspended from tudinally extending and transversely eX- tending axes of the cell and these suspending rods support a pair of horizontal bars 18,l beneath which the hoods are secured at 1'8 thieir apices, the bars extending the length of the cell and supporting each hood nearl lbracket Where it is secured by a lock nut 21.

To prevent s lopping over of the Wash caused by action of the bubbles, due to londitudinally moving Wave actions from t e front to the rear of the cell, I utilize a hori-v zontally disposed screen 22 located just beneath the Water level and extending from the inclined shield 8 to the rear of the cell. This screen, as in Figure 3, may be of Wire mesh, or, as in Figure 4, the screen 23 lmay be made in the form of honey-combs. In-

either event the screen is supported in stationary position from the side Walls of the cell or from the posts 17, justbeneath the .of thev pulp The subtvvo pairs of suspending rods 17, 17, spaced symmetrically in thelongiwater level by flanges 17 -on the posts and attached to the screen, to stabilize the pulp and Water in the cell at the Water level, and permit a gradual movement of the bubbles on the surface of the Water toward the launders at the sides of the cell. li this manner the partitipns or shield 8 which guides the gangue and to some extent prevents wave motions on the water surface, is assisted by the screen 22, and due to the presence of these two members the surface is maintained in a comparatively quiet and smooth condition to per'- mit the rising bubbles to float off to the launders Without undue4 agitation and consequent loss of material. As the bubbles ascend through the screen 22, after having .Thus the' Water line, of the pulp is main-v tained at the desired level by the .action of the float-'26, which rises with an excess of pulp in the cell and opens the valved outlet, and falls asthe level of the pulp falls to close the opening.

by action of the falling n angue, any sur# plusage of oil, or any oil t at might escape the falling material is confined' to the surface of the pulp in the receiving chamber 7 and thus prevented -from floating to the surface of the pulp inthe separating chamber for the ore. .The incoming material is directedl toward thepfront endl of the cell by the shield 8, and becauseov the circulationV of Water and; air in' the cell, the pulp is' thoroughly- 1separate'd, the minerall is permitted to' adhere to the oilbubbles as they rise to thefsurface ofthe pulp, and the longitudifnally extending aerating device supplies the air 'to all 'parts of the cellthus insuring an effective' and economical separa-4 As the oil from the pipe 10 is submerged.

tion and flotation 'of 'the mineral particles.

Having ythus fully described my invention, what I claim as nevi7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent ,is-

1. A froth flotation cell of the pneumatic type having a partition at one end forming a pulp receiving compartment, means for delivering pulp in a plunging stream from above the surface level in the receiving co-mpartment, and means for delivering flotation reagent at said pulp level and directly in the path of the plunging stream.

2. A flota-tion cell having` a froth overgas to the cell at the lower part thereof, flow, means for delivering bubble forming brackets in the cell and posts supported gas to the cell at the lower part thereof,y a thereon, means for adjusting the posts in the foranlinous screen covering the upper porbrackets, and a horizontally dispo-sed,foram 5 tion of the cell in proximity to the Water inous'screen supported on said posts cov- 15 level therein, and means for adjusting said ering the upper portion of the cell is proxscreen relatively to the Water level and the imity to the water level therein. froth overflow. In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

A flotation cell having a froth overl0 flow, means for delivering bubble forming ARTHUR H. CONNOR-S.. 

